Refrigerating apparatus



June 6, 1933.

A. 'H. STRONG "1,913,297

REFRIGERA'I'ING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 7, 19:50 2 Sheets- Sh et 1 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT o rrlcs enema HUGE s'rnone, or noaars'rowu, ranxsinvma, ASSIGNOB 'ro mamas.

DOHBTIC REFRIGEBATING COHIANY, IHQ, 01? GONSHOHOOKEN, PENNSYLVANIA,

A. GOBPOBATIQN 01' NEW YORK BEFRIGERQLTING APPARATUS Application filed October 7, 1930. Serial No. 438,878. 1

Y My invention relates to refrigerating systems of the type claimed in my copending applications I for Letters Patent of the.

vUnited States for improvement in Refriger- 791 ed June 6, 1929 and Serial No. 473,922 filed August 8, 1930, including a circulating system for a main refrigerant, such as ammonia, and an auxiliary circulating system for an auxiliary refrigerant such as ethyl chloride, for cooling the ammonia generator after each interval in which said generator is heated.

In the system shown in said copending. application Serial No. 473,922, the circulation of the ethyl chloride is controlled by two separate and distinctvalves which are included in different places in the conduit thru which the auxiliar refrigerant is circulated and respectively a apted to adjustably limit the-normal workin pressure in that circuit and to automatica ly stop the flow of the auxiliary refrigerant in that circuit whenever the generator is being heated to gener-' ate ammonia in the main refrigerant circuit;

The essential feature of my present invention is a single valve so constructed and arranged as to be capable of performing the functions of thetwo separate and distinct valves aforesaid, with consequent economy in cost of construction and installation and v maintenance of the same. In that embodi' ment, a single valve, adapted to close 9.. sin gle port, is adapted to be moved to close that port at either a critical temperature or a critical pressure in the system inn-which the I valve is included, such critical temperature and pressure beingyariable by the adjustment of spring stress u n the valve tending toopen it in opposition to said means for closing it. 7 I

' However, my invention is adapted for use in any embodiment wherein it is desired to" control the passage of a fluid by a single a alve is subisst valve, in accordance with changes in both pressure to which the the temperature and My, invention includes the various novel features of construction andarrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

ratingl systems, respectively Serial No. 368,-

In said drawin s; Fi I is a diagrammatic elevation of a refrigerating system, comprising a main refrigerant clrculating system of the absorption type including a generator, and a secondary refrigerant circulati n system for cooling saidgenerator .in the intervals between heating operations thereof similar to that disclosed and claimed in said copending application Serial No. 47 3,922, except that my improved single valve structure 1s substituted fpr the two separated valves aforesaid.

Fig. II is a vertical sectionalview of said single valve indicated in Fig. I, and showing the internal construction and arrangement of said valve and its appurtenances, on a larger scale.

v In said drawings; the main refrigerant intermittently nerator 1 is arranged to eated by the (gas burner 2 controlled by the valve 3. Sai generator 1 is part of a.

closed circulatory system for the main refri erant, for instance, aqua ammonia, and

inc udes the conduit 6 leading thru the recto be opened .or closed thru mechanism in the casing 18 under control of alternately expansible devices 19- and 20, for'instance,

corrugated metal bellows; said bellows 19 being operatively connected, by the conduit 21 with the thermostatic bulb 22 which is subject to the temperature of the. main refrigerant, conveniently in the evaporator 12; so that said burner valve 3 is opened to heat the generator 1 when said bulb 22 reaches a predetermined temperature which is relatively high for the refrigerated inclosure. Said bellows 20 is operatively connected with the thermostatic bulb 23 in the generator 1', so that said burner valve 3 is closed when said bulb 23 reaches a predetermined temperatur which is'relatively ,high for thecontents of said generator.

For the purpose of cooling the contents of said generator 1 between successive heating operations thereof; I provide a secondary closed circuit including the liquid 5 trap containin a secondary refrigerant having a low boiling point, for instance, ethyl chloride. Said secondary circuit ineludes the conduit 27 which is the refrigerant inlet to my improved valve 28 which controls the circulation of the secondary refrigerant and which has the outlet conduit 29 extending to the coil 30 in said generator 1'; whereb when said valve 28 is closed, said secon ary refrigerant, in a liquid state,

15 is excluded from sa1d coil 30 extending in said generator 1. However, said coil 30 is connected by the conduit 31 with the radiator 32 which is connected by the conduit 33 with said trap 25. When said valve 28 is opened, said secondary refrigerant may gravitate from said trap'25 into said coil 30,

i and be boiled by the heat which it absorbs from the hot primary refrigerant aqueous residue in said generator 1, and, being thus vaporized,.said secondary refrigerant may be recondensed to the li uid state in said radiator 32, conveniently y subjecting the latter to a draft of atmospheric air from the fan 35, which also dissipates the heat from the condenser 10 in the main refrigerant. circuit.

As shown in Fig. II; said valve 28 has thecasing 37 with the two bellows chambers 38 and 39 in coaxial relation at respectively opposite ends thereof, separated by the partition 40 containing the valve seat 41. The secondary refrigerant inlet 27 opens thru said casing, in said partition, upon one side of said seat, and the outlet 29 for said refrigerant opens thru said casing at the opposite side ofsaid seat; said inlet 27 and said outlet 29 Being continually respectively in communication with said bellows chambers 38 and 39.

Said valve 28 has the screw threaded stem 43 extending thru said seat-41 and carry.- ing the nut 45 which extends in the recess 46 in the head 47 of the bellows 48, conveniently formed of a corrugated metal tube, and said nut is ivotally connected with said head 47 by t e pin 50, .so that vsaid valve 28 may oscillate to a slight degree to fit its seat 41 when closed thereon, regardless of any slight lateral displacement of said bellows 48.

Said bellows 48 is carried by the tubular closure 51 for the lower end of said valve casing 37 and bellows chamber 39. Said closure 51 may be removably connected with 9 said casin 37 by an convenient means, for

instance t e screw tread 52. Said closure 51 is internally screw threaded for engagement with the removable plug 53 which may be removed to permit the insertion and removal of the spring 54 which bears at its closed by the colla se of said bellows 48,

upper end against said bellows head 47 and is adapted to stress and extend said bellows to open said valve 28. The effective stress of said spring 54 is adjustably variable b the spring abutment screw 55 which exten s axially thru said plug 53 and carries the spring abutment 56 for the lower end of said spring.

Said valve 28 is thus adapted to be closed upon its seat b the pressure of the fluid which it controls being effective upon said bellows 48 in the chamber 39 to collapse said bellows at a pressure which is ad ustably variable in accordance with the stress of said s ring 54; such ressure being attained, in the embodiment s own, by the absorption of heat from the contents of the generator 1 and consequent expansion of said secondary refrigerant.

The bellows head 58 in said chamber 38 has the recess 59 adapted to contact with and shift said valve 28 to close it, but may stand'in spaced relation with said valve, as indicated in Fig. II, when said valve 1s as shown in. said gure. The-bellows 60, conveniently formed of a corrugated metal tube, likethe bellows48, connects said head 58 with the closure 61 for the bellows chamber 38 and the upper end of said casing 37 Said closure 61 may be removably connected with said casing by any convenient means, for instance the screw thread 62. Said closure 61 is connected with the conduit 64 which 0 ens therethruinto the interior of said bel ows 60 and has at its opposite end the bulb 65 which may be located anywhere it maybe subjected to the heat from the burner 2 or to a burner operative simultaneously with said burner 2, as in my application Serial No. 473,992, aforesaid. Said bellows 60, conduit 64, and bulb 65 may be charged with any fluid readily responsive to changes of temperature, as alcohol or atmosepheric air, and the effect of such construction and arrangement is to close said valve 28 and stop the circulation of the secondary refrigerant past said ,valve, at a predetermined temperature; regardless of the fact that the pressure of the secondary re- 115 frigerant upon said bellows 48 and its appurtenances may then be insuflicient to close said valve 28.

My improved valve structure shown in Fig. II is thus adapted to close said valve 28 and stop the circulation of fluid ast it at any temperature predetermined y the calibration of said bellows 60 and its appurtenances; and to close said valve at any desired pressure of the fluid vcontrolled by it 125 within the range of adjustment of said spring, 54. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the valve structure shown in Fig. II is effective to stop the circulation of the secondary refrigerant through thecoil 30 in the generator whenever it is desired to subject the latter to the heating operation of the burner 2, and the bellows 48 and its a purtenan'ces are effective to stop thecircu ation of the secondary refrigerant whenever the latter has become heated to such a degree as to render it desirable to cool it, by dissi ating heat from it at the radiator 32. owever, the spring 54 and its appurtenances would be equally effective to stop the circulation of the secondary refrigerant if and when the ressure thereof for which it is calibrated is attained by any other means, for instance by compressing said refrigerant with a pump.

.Moreover, altho I do not show in Fig. II

any means for varying the effective pressure upon said bellows head 58 except means for heating the fluid contents of said bellows and its appurtenant conduit 64 and bulb 65;

of course, the temperature atwhich the expension of said bellows is effective to close said valve 28 may also be adjustably determined by variation of the stress of said spring 54, by said screw 55; for, any increment in the, resistance to closure of said valve. 28 would require an increment in pressure of the fluid in said bellows 60, and consequent increment in temperature of that fluid, to close said valve.

Therefore,-I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement hereinset forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a single valve structure adapted to automatically shut at a predetermined temperature, an automatically open at a predetermined pressure; the combination with a casinghaving two bellows chambers, in coaxial "relation at respectively opposite ends thereof; a partition between said bellows chambers; a valve seat in said partition; a" fluid inlet in said 'partition'upon one side of .said seat; a fluid outlet upon the other side of said seat; saidinlet and outlet be ing continually respectively in communication with said bellows-chambers; of a reciprocatory valve adapted to close upon the inlet side of said seat and having a screw threaded stem extending thru said seat; a nut sleeve upon said stem; a bellows head having a recess in which said nut extends; a pivot connecting said bellows head with said nut in said recess; a=bellows connectin'g said head with a tubular closure for one end of said valve casing; a screw plug in said closure; a spring in said bellows between said head and said screw plug, adapted to stress and extend said bellows to open said valve; and screw means extending thru said plug and axially adjustable to var the effective stress of said spring upon sai bellows head and thereby vary the ressure at which said valve may be 'opene and in a bulb; and a thermostatic fluid in said bulb, conduit, and bellows connected therewith; whereby the latter bellows is expanded to close said valve at a predetermined temperature of said thermostatic fluid to which said bulbis subjected.

- 2. In a single valve structure adapted to automatically shut, at a predetermined temperature, an" automatically open at a predetermined pressure; the combination with a casing having two bellows chambers, in coaxial relation at respectively op osite ends thereof; a partition between sald bellows chambers; a valve seat in said partition; a fiuidi inlet in said artition, upon one side of said seat; a fluid outlet upon the other side of saidseat; of a reciprocatory valveadapted to close upon said seat and having a stem extending thru said seat; a bellows head connected with said stem; a bellows connecting said head with a tubular closure for one end of said valve casing; a plugin whereby saidlatter bellows is expanded to.

close said valve at a predetermined temperature of said thermostatic fluid.

3. In a single valve structure adapted to automatically shut at a predetermined temperature, and automaticallyopen at a predetermined pressure; the combination with a casing having two bellows chambers, in coaxial relation at respectively opposite ends thereof; a partition between said bellows chambers; a valveseat in said partition; a fluid inlet in said partition upon one side of said. seat; a fluid outlet upon the other side of said seat; of a reciprocatory valve adapted to' close upon said seat and having a stem extending thru said seat; a bellows head connected-with'sai'd stem; a bellows connecting said head with a closure for one end of said valve casing; a sprin bellows between said head and sai closure, adapted to stress and extend said bellows to open said valve; a bellows head in the in said i other of said chambers adapted to shift said valve to close it; a bellows connecting that head with a closure for the adjacentend of said casing; a thermostatic fluid in said lat- 5 ter bellows; whereby said latter bellows is expanded to close said valve at a predetermined temperature of said thermostatic fluid; and means adjustable to vary the effective stress of said spring and thereby vary both the temperature and the pressure at which said valve may be opened and shut.

4. In a single valve structure adapted to automatically shut at a predetermined temperature, and adapted to automatically open at a predetermined pressure; the combination with a casing having two bellows chamhers and a valve seat, with a fluid inlet upon one side of said seat and a fluid outlet upon the other side of said seat; of a reciprocatory valve adapted to close upon said seat; two bellows, each connected at one end to said casing and respectivelv extending in said chambers, and adapte to close said valve upon its seat; a thermostatic fluid in one of said bellows; a spring in the other of said bellows; said thermostatic bellows being adapted to close said valve by expansion, and said spring bellows being adapted to close said valve by contraction, and means adjustable to vary the effective stress of said spring and thereby vary both the temperature and the pressure at which said valve may be opened and shut by both of said bellows.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Conshohocken, Pennsyl- Vania, this third day of October, 1930.

ARCHIE HUGH STRONG. 

